Xiaomi, the Chinese tech firm, is facing mounting criticism after reports surfaced alleging an unspoken rule of excessive working hours across its departments. The issue came to light through a viral post on Maimai, a professional networking platform.
The post claimed that employees are expected to work at least 11.5 hours daily. Numerous internal revelations have been made ever since. Employees from different Xiaomi divisions have shared similar concerns, stating that while these overtime expectations aren’t officially documented, they are enforced through verbal instructions.
Furthermore, workers say departments have their own benchmarks—ranging from 10.5 to as much as 15 hours per day—depending on the manager.
In one case, an employee from the mobile phone division claimed their team has a 12.5-hour daily work target. Another, based in Shanghai, described a routine that stretches from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Across several locations including Jiangsu and Beijing, similar patterns have been reported, where long hours are normalised and underperformance in logged hours results in warnings or pressure to resign.
Taking a single day off impacts an employee’s monthly working hour average. If it drops below 8 hours per day, staff members are reportedly required to work additional hours on other days to compensate. Written explanations, internal interviews, and warnings are common consequences for failing to meet these informal quotas.
The issue seems to have persisted for nearly two years, according to one insider, but has only become public nowadays. Contract workers appear especially vulnerable, with daily hour requirements enforced strictly and non-compliance leading to immediate disciplinary action or termination.
These reports have reignited concerns about labour rights in the tech sector and the blurred line between dedication and exploitation.
